EASA Distributes FAA Recommendation: Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin

FAA Aviation Safety
SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN
SAIB: NM-10-12
SUBJ: Navigation: Flight Management System Date: January 7, 2009
This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advises registered owners and operators of
the transmission of incorrect information from the Honeywell NZ-2000 Primus Epic Flight
Management System (FMS) software having part number (P/N) VAR9XX, VAR10XX, or
VAR11XX and installed on Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (Type Certificate Previously Held
by Raytheon Aircraft Company) Model 4000 airplanes, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Model G-IV, GIV-X, and GV-SP airplanes, Agusta AW-139 helicopters, and Cessna Aircraft
Company Model 680 airplanes.

Background
During an RNAV approach an airplane programmed with NZ-2000 FMS software (version 5.2), flew
the WATTS THREE ARRIVAL (RNAV) Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR). A different
runway was selected in the FMS during the STAR, and resulted in the FMS navigating the airplane
toward the initial STAR waypoint instead of the next sequential STAR waypoint. As a result of this
incident, Honeywell International Inc. issued Service Information Letter, D200909000044, dated
October 15, 2009, to provide operators with guidelines for flight plan modifications made on the
ARRIVAL page, including a destination runway change. This SAIB addresses the Primus Epic FMS
because its software was a derivative of the NZ-2000 FMS software. At this time, the airworthiness
concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title
14 of the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Recommendations
The FAA recommends that all owners and operators of Model 4000 airplanes, Model G-IV, GIV-X,
and GV-SP airplanes, Agusta AW-139 helicopters, and Model 680 airplanes with NZ-2000 Primus
Epic Flight Management System software ensure their flight crews are familiar with the procedures
outlined in Honeywell Service Information Letter, D200909000044, dated October 15, 2009.
For Further Information Contact

Daniel Bui, Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130L, FAA, Los
Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, California
90712-4137; telephone (562) 627-5339; fax (562) 627-5210.
For Related Service Information Contact
Technical Publications and Distribution, 21111 N. 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027-2708;
telephone (800)601-3099; fax 602-365-5577; Internet http://portal.honeywell.com/wps/portal/aero.

See Also the Service Information Letter: http://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/NM-10-13 pdf

The NTSB is amending its regulations concerning notification
and reporting requirements regarding aircraft accidents or
incidents. In particular, the NTSB is adding regulations to require
operators to report certain incidents to the NTSB. The NTSB is also
amending existing regulations to provide clarity and ensure that
the appropriate means for notifying the NTSB of a reportable
incident is listed correctly in the regulation.

On October 7, 2008, the NTSB published an NPRM titled
“Notification and Reporting of Aircraft Accidents or Incidents and
Overdue Aircraft, and preservation of Aircraft Wreckage, Mail,
Cargo, and Records” in the Federal Register. This NPRM proposed,
and the final rule codifies the addition of five reportable
incidents, the reporting of which the NTSB believes will improve
aviation safety.

The operator of any civil aircraft, or any public aircraft not
operated by the Armed Forces or an intelligence agency of the
United States, or any foreign aircraft shall immediately, and by
the most expeditious means available, notify the nearest National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) office when an aircraft accident
or any of the following listed serious incidents occur:

• Failure of any internal turbine engine component that results
  in the escape of debris other than out the exhaust path.
• In-flight fire.
• Aircraft collision in flight.
• Release of all or a portion of a propeller blade from an
  aircraft, excluding release caused solely by ground contact.
• A complete loss of information, excluding flickering, from more
  than 50 percent of an aircraft’s cockpit displays known as
  Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) displays, Engine
  Indication and Crew Alerting system (EICAS) displays, Electronic
  Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) displays, or other displays of
  this type, which generally include a primary flight display (PFD),
  primary navigation display (PND), and other integrated
  displays.
• Airborne Collision and Avoidance System (ACAS) resolution
  advisories issued either when an aircraft is being operated on an
  instrument flight rules flight plan and compliance with the
  advisory is necessary to avert a substantial risk of collision
  between two or more aircraft, or to an aircraft operating in class
  A airspace.
• Damage to helicopter tail or main rotor blades, including
  ground damage, that requires major repair or replacement of the
  blade(s).
• Any event in which an aircraft operated by an air carrier lands
  or departs on a taxiway, incorrect runway, or other area not
  designed as a runway, or experiences a runway incursion that
  requires the operator or the crew of another aircraft or vehicle to
  take immediate corrective
• action to avoid a collision.

The final rule was published in the Federal Register January
7th, and the revisions and additions published in this final rule
become effective March 8, 2010.

www.ntsb.gov

Virgin America Cleared for Take-Off in 2010

San Francisco – January 8, 2010 – Virgin America, a privately-held domestic airline, today applauded the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision confirming the carrier’s financial fitness and U.S. citizenship status. Earlier today, the DOT issued a ruling that the airline and its proposed new ownership structure will remain fully compliant with U.S. ownership laws. U.S. law requires that domestic airlines remain under the control of U.S. citizens, with no more than 25% of the voting stock being held by foreign citizens. As a matter of policy, the DOT reviews any proposed ownership changes of over 10 percent of the voting stock of any U.S.-domiciled airline.

“Today is a great day for airline competition, for our traveling guests and for our teammates,” said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. “We’re extremely pleased with the Department of Transportation’s announcement. With this behind us, we intend to focus on what we do best: injecting new competition into markets as we grow, creating new jobs and delivering an unrivalled guest experience.”

The proposed new ownership structure will reflect a change among Virgin America’s U.S. investors and also allow the Company’s teammates to participate in the airline’s future via an Employee LLC. Under the new structure, the airline’s voting stock will remain in its previous configuration with 75 percent held by the U.S.-based VAI Partners, LLC and 25 percent held by Virgin Group. However, the U.S. investors comprising VAI Partners will change with the following entities now comprising the VAI stake:

Cyrus Aviation Investor, LLC – 55.5 percent
VAI MBO Investors, LLC—27.8 percent
VX Employee Holdings, LLC—16.7 percent
VAI Management, LLC—less than 1 percent
Cyrus Aviation Investor, LLC is an entity related to long-time Virgin America investor, Cyrus Capital. Under the new structure it will substantially increase its investment to become the airline’s principal U.S. investor.

VAI MBO Investors, LLC is comprised of five individual investors. Four of the investors, Don Carty, Sam Skinner, Cyrus Freidheim, and David Cush, are current Virgin America Board members, and a fifth, Robert Nickell, will assume a Board seat at the closing of this transaction.

VX Employee Holdings, LLC is an entity established to hold the economic value of 16.7 percent of VAI for distribution to the employees of Virgin America at the time of a qualified liquidity event, such as an initial public offering.

“Given that our success to date is due to the efforts of this entrepreneurial start-up team, we are pleased that our teammates will now have a stake in the financial success of our airline,” added Cush.

As part of the proposed transaction, Virgin America will obtain an additional $68.4 million in unsecured debt from its shareholders. This facility will further improve the liquidity of the company, positioning it for additional growth in 2010 and beyond.

The company will continue to have a U.S. controlled Board of Directors (with seven of nine seats held by U.S. citizens). Although a privately-held company, the airline is announcing these details given DOT’s public ruling earlier today.

Since its August 2007 launch, the San Francisco-based Virgin America has created more than 1500 new jobs, swept all the major reader-based travel awards, and lowered fares and improved service in the new markets it has entered. The start-up airline’s most recently reported financial results included the announcement of its first quarterly operating profit, a year-over-year revenue increase of 38 percent, record load factors and improved unit costs for the third quarter of 2009.

Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Orange County and Fort Lauderdale. Virgin America has flown over 6.2 million guests since its inaugural flights and now counts over 1.2 million Elevate loyalty program members. In just over two years flying, Virgin America has captured a list of travel industry best-in-class awards, including “Best Domestic Airline” in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.

# # #

Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled, owned and operated airline. It is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.

The National Transportation Safety Board will open its public docket Thursday on a January 2009 helicopter accident that killed 8 persons.

On January 4, 2009, a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter (N748P), operated by PHI, Inc., crashed into swampy terrain just north of the Gulf of Mexico coastline near Morgan City, Louisiana. The aircraft was on a Part 135 revenue flight to an oil platform when it crashed about 7 minutes after takeoff. Eight of the nine persons aboard lost their lives.

The docket will contain factual reports prepared by the investigative team, including reports on aircraft structures, aircraft systems, the transcript of the cockpit voice recorder, and toxicology reports. A comprehensive materials laboratory report on the windscreen structure and a report on the flight data recorder information will be added to the docket in the next several weeks.

The docket will be published on the Board’s website at www.ntsb.gov, under “Accident Dockets” on the home page, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, January 7. No determination of cause will be rendered at this time. This is a factual release only; no interviews will be conducted by NTSB personnel.